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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. cap — a lid
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. face — to confront
  5. drill — army training
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. face — part of the head
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. tube — a container
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. face — to point toward
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. drill — the tool
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. wave — of the sea

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com